History
Early years (1906–1959)
Drake’s first season fielded a men’s basketball team in 1906–07. The Bulldogs finished with a 2–1 record as an independent. The following year, during the 1907–08 season, they were members of the Missouri Valley Conference’s charter committees.
Drake continued to dominate in the 1930s, winning three conference titles during the decade (1934–35, 1935–36, and 1938–39). Unfortunately, the Bulldogs did not qualify for the postseason tournament by winning the conference title, as no postseason tournament was held during the 1934–35 season. The following season, 1935–36, Drake was invited to the postseason Olympic District Tournament (North Dakota won 49–46, falling to Minnesota 36–19). The Bulldogs made the National Intercollegiate Tournament in 1937–38 (losing to Murray State 47–40) and 1938–39 (losing to Oklahoma State 28–15).
During the 1940s and 1950s, Drake’s hitting streak provided eight winning seasons. There was no Missouri Valley Conference play during the 1943–44 and 1944–45 seasons due to World War II. That was in part because most MVC schools didn’t play basketball in those seasons. In 1951, Drake withdrew from the MVC, along with Bradley, to protest the MVC’s ineligibility against Oklahoma A&M in the Johnny Bright incident. Drake would not play in the Missouri Valley Conference again until the 1956–57 season.
The Glorious Years (1960–1986)
From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, all-time great Drake teams were known. The Bulldogs were regularly ranked nationally and the MVC was one of the top conferences in men’s basketball. During that time, Drake had fourteen winning seasons.
The Maury John era
Coach Maury John held Drake’s record of 211 wins (211-131) while coaching the Bulldogs from 1958-1971. John came to Drake after compiling a 285–58 (.831) record at Moberly Junior College (1946–1958) and leading Moberly to back-to-back NJCAA National Championships in 1954 and 1955. (John was replaced by Cotton Fitzsimmons at Moberly , when he came to Drake.) After coach John Howard Stacey went 34–44 with Drake coaching from 1971–74, Bob Ortegel compiled a 94–103 record from 1974–81, and Gary Garner went 95–104 from 1981–81. 1988 year.
Under coach John Drake, Louisville shared the Missouri Valley Conference title in 1963–64 and earned an invitation to the 1964 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). In the NIT, Drake beat Pittsburgh 87–82 in the first round and lost to runner-up New Mexico 65–60 in the second round.
1968–69 Drake Bulldogs The season was by far the most complete in program history as the Bulldogs advanced to the 1969 NCAA Final Four. The Bulldogs, under coach John, won the Missouri Valley Conference opener and advanced to the Final Four of the 1969 NCAA Tournament, finishing third. During the tournament, Drake earned a first-round bye, defeating Texas A&M 81–63 in the Sweet Sixteen and Colorado State in the Elite Eight 84–77. The Bulldogs would fall to eventual champion John Wooden’s UCLA 85–82 in the national semifinals before routing Dean Smith’s North Carolina 104–84 in the third-place game.
In the 1969 NCAA Final Four, on March 20, 1969, Drake lost to UCLA with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and coach John Wooden 85–82 in the national semifinals. Drake, with 24 points from Willie McCarter, 13 points with 16 rebounds from Willie Wise, and defense from Rick Wanamaker and Dolph Pulliam, nearly pulled off a historic upset. UCLA led 83-74 with one minute and 12 seconds left before Drake scored eight straight points to make it 83-82 with just seconds left. (UCLA would go on to defeat Purdue (92–72) in the NCAA championship game, the fourth of seven NCAA championships.
The Los Angeles Times described UCLA’s closing moments: “Later in the game, UCLA led by three, but Drake had the ball and the momentum. Guard Willie McCarter made a jumper from the left corner that ricocheted around the rim before ending up in the hands of Drake forward Dolph Pulliam , who went right back with him. On the way up, Pulliam was hit by Alcindor and Curtis Rowe, but the ball somehow went through the hoop. The basket counted, but no foul was called against the Bruins … With eight seconds left, Drake passed by one. UCLA escaped the Bulldogs’ press and got a pass to Lynn Shackelford. In desperation, Ron Gwynn fouled him. Shackelford made both of his one-timer attempts.”
After the game, coach John Wooden was asked what was wrong with UCLA. Wooden replied simply, “Drake.”
In the 1969 NCAA third-place game, the Bulldogs defeated coach Dean Smith’s ACC Champion Tar Heels in North Carolina, with Charlie Scott leading the way, 104–84 behind Willie McCarter’s 28 points. Drunk finished the season 26–5.
Drake continued its success under Coach John the next two seasons, advancing to the Elite Eight in both the 1970 NCAA Tournament and the 1971 NCAA Tournament. Drake finished 22–7 in 1969–70 and 21–8 in 1970–1971.
In the 1969–70 season, they again captured the Missouri Valley Conference title and made their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Earning a first-round bye, Drake defeated Coach Houston, coached by Guy Lewis and Dwight Davis, 92–87. Drake lost to New Mexico State 87–78 in the 1971 Midwest Regional final.
In 1970–71, the Bulldogs earned their third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference championship. They made their third consecutive NCAA trip, claiming the 1971 NCAA Tournament. There, Drake (21–8) was defeated by the University of Notre Dame’s Austin Carr 79–72 in the WZ, then lost to Kansas 73–71 in the Midwest Regional final.
In 1971, after 13 seasons and Drake’s record 211 wins, Coach John left Drake for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. John’s stay at ISU was tragically short as he died of cancer on October 15, 1974 at the age of 55.
The era of Bob Ortegel
Drake won its first national tournament title during the 1974-75 season, capturing the National Commissioner’s Invitational Tournament postseason title under coach Ortegel. In the tournament, the Bulldogs defeated USC 80–70, Bowling Green 78–65, and Arizona in the championship game 83–76.
The Bulldogs also advanced to the National Invitation Tournament during the 1980-81 season under coach Ortegel, losing to Minnesota in the first round 90-77 and in the 1985-86 season under coach Gary Garner, falling to Marquette 79-59 in the first round.
Dark Days (1987–2006)
From 1987 to 2006, Drake did not have a winning season in men’s basketball. It was a dark time in the history of the program. The stretch included a dismal 2–26 season in 1996–97 and a dismal 3–24 season in 1997–98. The Bulldogs went through four coaches, none of whom finished with a winning coaching record at Drake.
The 2001–02 season showed a glimmer of hope after starting on the wrong note. Drake will suspend four players over winter break for the semester for not meeting the school’s 2.0 GPA rule (the NCAA requires 1.8). Despite the depleted lineup, the Bulldogs nearly had a winning season. Drake entered the MVC Tournament with a 14–14 record; but fell to Illinois State 63–64 at the buzzer, ending the 14–15 season.
The following season (2002–03), Drake would finish 10–20, leading to the firing of head coach Kurt Kanaski at the end of the season.
The era of Tom Davies
On April 22, 2003, Drake announced the hiring of former Iowa State head coach Dr. Tom Davis as the new men’s basketball coach. The hire drew national attention and brought instant prestige to the struggling program. Davis’ career included sixteen 20-win seasons, 18 shutouts, and he was named the Associated Press National Coach of the Year in 1987.
During the 2003–04 season, Davis began a massive rebuilding project for Bulldog basketball. After going 37–51 in their first three seasons, the team finished 17–15 in 2006–07 for their first winning record in 21 years. Davis retired after the season and was succeeded by his son, Keno Davis.
The Magic Season (2007–2008 season)
Under Keno Davis, the 2007-2008 season was one of the most storied in Drake history. The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Drake earned a five seed in the NCAA Tournament and was ranked nationally throughout the year. The season would end in shocking fashion when Ty Rogers hit a last-second 26-foot three-pointer (a play that remains in the NCAA Tournament Top 10 with “ESPN” buzzers to this day) to give Western Kentucky a 101–99 overtime victory in the first round. Drake finished the season with a school-best 28–5 record.
Dark Days, Part II (2008–2017)
After a successful 2007-2008 season, Keno Davis accepted the head basketball coaching position at Providence. As a result, Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Clubb hired former Arizona State assistant coach Mark Phelps. In 2008–09, Phelps’ first season, the Bulldogs finished with a 17–16 record, making it to Idaho in the College Insider Tournament. Despite his recruiting prowess, Phelps’ on-court coaching led to a 7th-ranked finish and lower in the MVC, as well as declining attendance and fan support. Phelps’ contract was not renewed after the 2012–13 season, and the Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Club replaced him with their new selection, Rae Giacoletti. After failing to finish above .500 in three seasons and a 1–8 start in his fourth year, Giaccoletti resigned with Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Club on December 6, 2016, and was replaced by interim head coach Jeff Rutter, leading the team to its 9th game in 9 seasons under coach selected by Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Club.
On March 26, 2017, Drake University President “Marty” Martin named former Furman University head coach Nico Medved as the head men’s basketball coach. After a 17–17 season, as and exceeded low expectations, Medved announced his departure from Drake, accepting an offer from Colorado State University on March 22, 2018, less than a year into his tenure at Drake.
Champions again (2018 – present)
March 29, 2018 Creighton University assistant coach Darian DeVries was named the team’s new head coach. Devries led the Bulldogs to a 23–8 regular season record and an MVC championship in his first year as head coach. DeVries was named MVC Coach of the Year for his role in returning Drake to the top of the Valley.